The Sylvia Center is a nutrition education and youth development organization that works in high-need, high-potential communities to show young people how to establish healthy habits that lead to happier and more productive lives.

In community kitchens across New York City and Columbia County, students learn what it takes to prepare nutritious meals on a daily basis. By learning practical skills, working together as a team, and becoming more open to trying new things, our students gain confidence knowing they can do something that’s good for themselves now, and the future.

For our older students, we connect this work to real opportunities in the local food system – building connections to potential careers in restaurants, entrepreneurship and food justice. We believe that we can grow a more equitable food system by engaging youth as advocates for nutritious food in their own communities and by connecting them to real opportunities for their future.